Golf ball cleaner



Feb. 12, 1935. c. SUNDAHL 1,991,183

GOLFBALL CLEANER Filed Feb. 2v, 1955 Bnventot Patented Y Feb. 12, 19,35`

Clarence Sundahl,

Kansas City, Mo.

applicati@ 4riebirulaiav 27, i933, serial Np. 58,774 l s claims. (c1. 15;-211' l" 1' 'Thislinvention relates to golf ball cleaners of that class in which one or a plurality of balls are causedito travel circularly and through a cleaning solution and in frictional contact with a relatively stiff brushor brushes',.and my object is to produce an efficient cleanerof simple, strong, durable and inexpensive construction.` 1 1 With this general object and others as will hereinafter appear in View, the inventionfconsists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization of parts as Ahereinafter describedyand in orderthat it may be fullyunderstood, reference is to be had tothe accompanying drawing, inwhichz` x 1 1 1 Figure 1 is a broken front ele embodying the invention. L i

`Figure 2 isa rearelevation of the same `with the supporting element broken and a clamping element omitted.v 1 1 Figure 3 isa central vertical cleaner. 1' 1 Figure 14 is a section` on` the line IV-IV of Figuremgmg;4 ,1f

1 Figure 5 is asection on the line Va-V of Figure 3. 1

ationof a cleaner section' of the that there,` is a sheet metal casing of circular form comprising a lower orbody portion 1 and an Lupper or cover` portion 2, hinged at Sito the back Wall of the body portion. Fittingwithin the casing against the circumferential wall thereof `are arcuate shapedbrushes 41with the bristles facing inwardly, screws 5 or the like securing the brushes in place.' The `brush inthe body portion is preferably of sectional type for convenience of in stallation and replacement when necessary.

Arranged centrally within the housing is a rotor 1 comprising a pair of `disks 6 connected by arched cross bars 7 spaced uniformly apart a distance 40 greater than the diameter of a golf ball. The disks are spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of a golf ball and are of such diameter that a ball in contact with their peripheries shall be partly embedded in the` opposite brush so' that as the rotor is turned, a cross bar shall cause a ball ahead of it to follow a circular course.

At diametrically opposite points each disk between the cross bars, is flared out at its periphery as at 6a, the flared portions of one disk being m disposed at right angles to those of the other disk. This arrangement is provided so that the balls B, shall be caused to move laterally in each revolution of the rotor, in order that their entire i circumferential area shall be acted on by the `5 brushes in each revolution, and not leave unjproviding for lateral shaft of the balls, they 1a circular groovelO, said end Referring to the drawingin detail, it willbe seen cleaned or partly luncleane'd spots at opposite sides as sometimes41 happened when `the device was tested with twoperfect 1circular disks Stof thesame diameter;A It .isfpossible to use two disks of unequal .diameter forA effecting'lateral movement of the-balls :as theyare` circulated by `the. rotor (asy hereinafter explained),1but it is preferred to ,flareV bothdisksas described and shown as giving mo-reifrequently,lateraLmovements to theballs than by the use of complete or unmutilateddisks of unequal diameter. By

are also caused to morecertainly turnaround their own axes` under the resistance offered by the brushes sothat thej cleaning` action11 shall be more eflicient ,and1 expeditious.

The` rotor. is mounted non-rotatably on a shaft 8 journaled in the front and back walls of the casing, and is provided at its front end with al crankl handle 9. At the rear end, theshaft has ttingin a closed socket 11 secured to the casing, land to prevent `dislocation of the shaft, aset screw `l2 is mounted y in the socket and engages the groove 10. l A rectangular hoodw13` secured to the back wall Vof the casing, projects therefrom a'slightly greater distance than socket 11 and overhangs the latter, and vertically belowsaiddsocket,` near Athe bottom `of, the casing, isa rigid stud bolt 114. V

As a support for the casing there isprovded a standard 151of channel form. For use at different points of a golf course,l thestandards will preferably becerected in concrete bases, `not shown. For use withinA a locker room` or the convenience of 1 portability.

To insure firmness of supportof the` casing by 1 the standard, the latter is proportionedto t snugly at its upper end Within the hood 13 and around the socket `10, and `to clamp the casing and standard firmly together, the latter has a slot 17 through which bolt 14 projects for engage` ment by a clamping nut 18. The upper end of the slot 17 is a shorter distance from the bolt 14, than the depth of the hood, so that merely unclamping operation of the nut will notpermitremoval of the casing from the standard,as to remove the casing it must be first swung to an angular position, as indicated by dotted lines, Figure 3, and to permitit to be so diposed, it is not only necessary to remove the nut from bolt 14, but the upperend of the standard must be tapered as indicated at 16. This taper permitsthe casing, when the nut is removed, to be swung forwardly stallation and removal.

ard and as it is not desirable to give unauthorized persons an opportunity to remove the casing, the rear extremity of the studbolt has an opening 21 for engagement `by the shackle member of a padlock 22, which shackle provides for `convenient support of one or more perforated or grommeted towels 23 for drying a ball after it is cleaned. When the casing is removedthe padlock, carrying the towel, can be fastened. on the l chain and thus guard against'misplacement-and annoyance or delay incident thereto, i

In operation, the cover is raisedand reclosed after a ball is dropped in the cleaner onto the rotor. The crank handle is then operated and they cross-bar immediately back lof the ball, forces the same to travel circularly against the brush, the latter offering the necessary resistance to insure such travel and to brush mud from the ball. The bristles, while stiff enough to function as explained, will yield suiciently to embed a large area of the ball and will'offer enough resistance to cause it to turn on :its own axis so that the cleaning action of the brushV shall affect the entire circumferential area of the ball. In practice, aV few turns of the handle generally serve to clean the ball thoroughly.

Any suitable cleaning solution (not shown), may be employed, such as water and soapl powder. When thesolution gets muddy, the casing can be removed lby a caddy or player, if equipped with akey for the padlock, and the muddy solution poured out. If this is not 'sufficiently effective,- the setscrewY 12 can be withdrawn, -so that the shaft, rotor and brushes can be quickly removed, the brush in the body portion preferably consisting of three sections for convenience of in- The two side sections will be secured by screws 5, the bottom section being held firmly bythe side sections. The parts can be quickly reassembled and va fresh cleaning solution supplied. Y i i It will be apparent that the cleaner illustrated canbe used without danger of soiling'clothing or the hands', that the operating parts can be stored in winter, and that the servicing of the cleaners can be effected more expeditiously and economically than cleaners permanently located, to which cleaning appurtenances must 'always be carried. It will be understood that while I have illustrated and described the preferred construction, the cleaner is susceptible of various changes in detail within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claimt- 1. In a golf'ball cleaner, a casing, an arcuate brush within the casing disposed with its bristles facing inwardly, a'rotor within the casing and of smaller diameter than the brush, the axis of the rotor substantially coinciding with that of the inner face of the bristles, the rotor comprising a pair of disks spaced apart less than the, diameter [of a golf ball and cross-bars connecting the disks to Aapply pressure on golf balls resting on the disks to cause the balls to travel along land in frictional contact with the brush, one disk hav- Ning a portion of its edge bent outwardly and away from the other disk at a pointwhich is opposite an unbent part of saidv other disk.

'v 2. In a golf ball cleaner, a pair of spaced substantially parallel disks connected together by spaced cross bars projecting outward beyond the peripheries of the disks, one disk Abeing bent c-ut and away from the other disk at a pointV which isopposite a part of said other disk which is not bent.

3. A'golf ball washer comprising acircular casing having flat sides and composed of a stationary major portion and a minor cover portion hinged at one of its flat sides toa ilatside of the major portion, a circular brush secured within and paralleling the perimeter portion of the casing', the brush being sectional and the section within the cover being movable with the latter to give access to the brush section within the major portion of the casing, the bristles of the brush facing toward the axis of the casing, a shaft journaled in the casing axially thereof, a crank handle for the shaft at the outer side of the casing to effect rotation of the shaft, vand a ball carrier mounted On the shaft to rotate therewith and spaced from and disposed within vand concentrically of the brush, and consisting of a pair of disks spaced apart a distance less than the diameter of a golf ball and provided with a plurality of arms rigid with and projecting outwardly from and over the space between the disks, the arms being spaced apart to accommodate golfA balls for disposal on and supported bythe peripheral edges of thedisks and to be held by the disks in frictional engagement with the brush.

CLARENCE vSUNDAHL, 

